Empty Hand

Interviews

Philosophy

Remember 5 questions in 5 days? That seemed to go over well so I figured I would take some more questions.

This one is a doozy: “How does one learn to become a good teacher? Can lower ranking students teach?”

When considering this question I quickly realized that I couldn’t create a prescription for what makes a good teacher. There are far too many varied approaches that can work given the right personality and skillset. Nevertheless, I think I distilled some ideas that can help in recognizing the path of a “sensei” in the classical sense (that is to say, what a sensei was meant to be and what they can be in the modern world). Please enjoy:

I know this video is pretty extensive, so here is a breakdown of some of the main bullet points I touched upon for your notes and reference:

What a Good Teacher Isn’t

A Coach

A coach is responsible for the physical performance and readiness of his athletes.

Some modern instructors do fit that description, especially in the realm of MMA athletes and tournament competitors (like tkd olympics).

The classical sensei’s subject matter is far more pressing. They are concerned with their students taking other human life in their hands. They have to impart the mental and character skillset to recognize the repercussions of damaging a life, not just on the targeted person, but on their family, on the student, on the student’s family, and in a broader sense, deciding what kind of societal impact the decision process will have (will this individual go on to hurt others?).

There is also inherent right and wrong matters that a sensei must address. Whenever we see a martial artist doing something disgraceful, we suggest that his/her sensei should have helped him/her in controlling their abilities. In old times, every action of a student reflected upon the sensei significantly, so there was a deeper connection than mere coaching.

A Life Guru

Being a sensei does not grant someone automatic license to give advice on all life matters.

Most sensei are not professional trained psychologists, therapists, financial experts, etc. Therefore they are not qualified to give relationship advice, financial advice, etc etc.

In classical times, the sensei or sifu was a much more integrated part of village life. Their training often made them not just the most deadly individual, but also the best trained in medicine, herbs, physiology, and more general education like literacy, government policy, etc etc. These sensei were highly integrated into a town’s ecosystem. Sometimes farmers would ask advice for when to plant crops and parents would seek out help for naming their children (so as to avoid bad luck).

That is no longer the case for modern sensei. In our connected society we have real professionals that do all these other things, and modern sensei are not trained to be village counselors.

A Good Teacher…

finds the proper balance between coach and guru.

will focus on passing on the curriculum as it was handed down to them, preserving it as best as possible for the students to explore. They’ll resist the ego stroke of flavoring everything with their own flair.

will understand how to minimize the politics of rank and ego.

will find the balance between physical technique, mental tuning, and character development. Too much of one will begin to sacrifice the others.

will understand when to guide students strictly and when to allow them space to explore on their own.

will do their best to help their students surpass them, giving them tools when they are ready and without ego-based restrictions.

will recognize the difference between a student who is ready for higher learning, and one who has yet to develop the right character.

To learn how to become a good teacher, you need to pinpoint those unique aspects of instructors you’ve met and absorb them. You need to find ways to embody those things that a teacher should be and avoid those things a teacher shouldn’t be. That’s why lower rank students can help teach. They can assist higher ranks or even take classes once in awhile. But it takes many years of analyzing their instructor and understanding what makes him/her so special in order to integrate that into themselves, and be able to use it to benefit students.

As martial artists we often get bogged down in details. Techniques, training, research…it’s all very technical and thick.

Every now and then it’s fun to explore the ‘what ifs’ of martial arts. Luckily, for those times, we have authors like Sarah Gerdes and novels like Chambers.

Chambers is a martial arts mystery whereupon two teens are thrust into their father’s world of unusual artifacts, double crosses, and historical intrigue.

When Ms. Gerdes asked me if I might be interested in giving the book a read, I was happy to agree. The martial arts world is filled with spiritual and magical possibilities if we give ourselves permission to enjoy them (if only from time to time). When I found out that this book was interlaced with historical flavor from 15th Century China (an area and time not my specialty), I knew I’d be able to enjoy the read.

The story begins…

with two protagonists, Cage and Mia, who are a brother/sister team. They are both teens and exhibit some classic American qualities. Cage is a fiery martial arts student who is fairly confident in his own greatness. Mia is a very self-assured soccer player, aware of her budding attractiveness but often underplaying it.

The two find themselves mixed up in a scuffle between their dad and his boss, and before they realize the scope of their situation, they find themselves transported to a distant time and place – Ming Dynasty China, face to face with the 14 year old emporer.

As you can imagine, there is significant “fish out of water” elements to the story as the youngsters attempt to find their dad and save him (without altering history).

This book is good for…

any martial artist who wants to let imagination take over. The story is threaded with tidbits of real history and real training (the author is a martial artist herself), but for the most part raw action and magic rule the day. Cage exhibits skills well beyond his years and commands some intriguing powers as the story develops.

I think the best readership for this book is the teenage bracket, although adults (like myself) can certainly enjoy it. The mindsets and situations faced would speak most clearly to a teenager, especially one who is starting a martial art and is experiencing all the vast possibilities and unknown benefits that comes with it. Romances, conflict, and martial encounters (often with large groups of baddies) keep the pages turning and the story progressing.

The good news is…

if you like this book, there will be more to come. Ms. Gerdes plans to create a total of 5 novels in the series, following the adventures of Cage and Mia as they attempt to unravel the mysteries of their father’s research. Furthermore, Chambers has been optioned by Warp Entertainment and producer Lucas Foster with plans to adapt the book into a movie. Certainly the scale and far-off-setting of the story will translate well onto the silver screen.

This time I’m upping the ante and listing not just the best kick, but the best martial arts training montages of all time. That’s no mean feat as there are some epic sequences to consider.

As I began my research this time around I decided to create a series of criteria upon which to grade each montage. This helped me in ranking them and deciding which ones would make the cut and which wouldn’t. Here is a quick description of each criteria I used (this works on a 5 star system, * as the poorest grade and ***** as the best):

Training Intensity: How hard is the trainee working? 1 star means things aren’t too intense, 5 stars means I broke out in a sweat just watching.

Campiness: Does the scene hit all the heartstrings that make montages a classic piece of cinema corniness? 1 star is not at all campy, 5 stars is deliciously so.

Music Awesomeness: Part of a successful montage is epic music that makes you want to run out your door and do situps. 1 star is not too inspiring, 5 stars is chest poundingly awesome.

Montage Purity: How closely does the scene follow montage format? A good montage will show many cutscenes of the protagonist first struggling, then growing, and finally demonstrating super skills. 1 star means it’s a montage (but not that pure), 5 stars is perfect montage gold.

Ready? Here we gooooo:

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11. Ninja Assassin – Raizo’s Routine

Training Intensity: ***

Campiness: *

Music Awesomeness: ***

Montage Purity: **

This montage is decidly low on camp, and doesn’t follow the strictest guidelines of montage purity. Nevertheless, the action is undeniably cool and has a unique style that makes it a pleasure to watch. Directly after the clip shown below, the movie takes us into Raizo’s past and shows us more of his development. That is why this movie makes the montage list in place of others like The Matrix, which have singular training scenes.

Pain Breeds Weakness

Take-away exercise to try: inverted pushups on nails.

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10. Kill Bill 2 – The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei

Training Intensity: ***

Campiness: ***

Music Awesomeness: **

Montage Purity: ***

This scene features one of the best characters in all of martial arts cinema: Pai Mei. Pai Mei is a “white browed” taskmaster that has appeared in some classic kung fu cinema, and indeed this whole training sequence honors the campiness of those old movies. It also features the talent progression in our hero that explains her highly refined skillset.

Take-away exercise to try: One inch punch. Or the five point palm exploding heart technique.

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9. Mulan – Let’s Hear it For the Ladies

Training Intensity: **

Campiness: **

Music Awesomeness: ****

Montage Purity: ****

You didn’t think I was too tough and hardcore to ignore this montage did you? I don’t remember many scenes out of Disney movies, but this one really sticks out. It hits all the great montage notes of a helpless hero, a band of doubters who are eventually won over, and a tough but honorable teacher. Throw into the mix a message about gender equality, and forget about it! It was a tough call between this and Kung Fu Panda, but the inspiring music put Mulan over the top.

Take-away exercise to try: Breaking concrete with your face.

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8. Ninja: The Final Duel – Water Spider Madness

Training Intensity: ***

Campiness: *****

Music Awesomeness: **

Montage Purity: **

I almost wanted to break my own rating scale and put 6 stars for campiness here. The ninja techniques demonstrated are exactly the kind of weird nonsense that makes old kung fu movies so fantastic. Sure, it perpetuates some bad stereotypes…but…you know. It’s fun. This clip would have ranked higher if it followed the montage format a bit more closely and had more mind blowing music.

Take-away exercise to try: Water spider assault.

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7. Batman Begins – The Will to Act

Training Intensity: ***

Campiness: *

Music Awesomeness: ***

Montage Purity: ***

Modern films don’t feature montages quite as much as they used to, and when they do it is often for comedic effect. Batman Begins is a serious affair and displays a well polished training scene. In a lot of ways, this clip rates lower than some of the previous entries. However, when you take into account the quality of the film and acting I believe this is the appropriate place for it.

The Will to Act

Take-away exercise to try: Dealing with emotions and stuff.

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6. Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow – Jackie’s Ring Work

Training Intensity: **

Campiness: *****

Music Awesomeness: **

Montage Purity: ****

This movie is one of the Grandaddies of Kung Fu Cinema, and the training sequences are just as influential. Movies like Kill Bill and The Matrix would not have been the same if it wasn’t for efforts like Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. Maxed out on campiness, this montage deserves it’s high placement.

Take-away exercise to try: Egg based workouts.

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5. 36th Chamber of the Shaolin – We Get It, You Train A Lot

Training Intensity: ****

Campiness: *****

Music Awesomeness: **

Montage Purity: ****

You wanna talk about training? How about a movie that’s filled with it. 36th Chamber revolves around the protagonist progressing through his Shaolin training. Every skill a monk needs is presented via a separate chamber. Has any premise been better setup for a progressive montage?

4. KickBoxer – A Tree’s Worst Enemy

Training Intensity: ****

Campiness: ****

Music Awesomeness: ****

Montage Purity: *****

If you didn’t know Jean-Claude was going to make this list then shame on you. JCVD has an almost supernatural talent for creating training montages, and Kickboxer is one of his finest masterpieces. Who knew coconuts and palm trees could be so nightmarish?

3. The Karate Kid – Daniel’s Private Training

Training Intensity: ***

Campiness: ***

Music Awesomeness: *****

Montage Purity: *****

Here’s the thing – this isn’t even the best montage in this movie. That’s how insane the original Karate Kid is. As we all know, the tournament sequence at the end of the movie is one of the best montages of all time. However, that’s not really for training, and thus doesn’t make the cut here. But that doesn’t mean Daniel’s private training isn’t a fantastic moment. It gets such a ranking due to the scope and emotional charge of the movie. A real classic.

Daniel’s Training

Take-away exercise to try: I’d say the crane kick, but I’m not sure you can handle that yet.

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2. Rocky IV – U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.

Training Intensity: *****

Campiness: ***

Music Awesomeness: *****

Montage Purity: *****

Say the words “training montage”, and “Rocky” will be the first word uttered in response. I probably could have picked any of the Rocky movies for this, but I feel like IV is the most monumental. You might argue that boxing isn’t a pure martial art, and therefore Rocky should be disqualified from this list. That’s a tricky call, and since it’s so close (and Rocky is such a dominant montage force), I decided it was right to include it.

Cross-training

Take-away exercise to try: Draaagooooooooooooooooooo.

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1. Bloodsport – To Keep an Open Miiiind

Training Intensity: ****

Campiness: ****

Music Awesomeness: *****

Montage Purity: *****

In the purest sense, Rocky is a better montage. But since we are listing the best martial arts montages, Bloodsport rules as King. This sequence is the perfect collection of campy 80s music, training development of the protagonist, hardships endured, winning respect from the hard nosed teacher, and techniques just real enough that we want to try them. Surely Bloodsport holds a special place in the montage hall of fame.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this journey. I won’t keep you any longer because you probably want to go running through the woods, carrying giant rocks on your back while hitting yourself with sticks. I understand, I’m pumped up too.

Don’t forget to add your two cents in the comment section below. Do you think there are any other movies that should have broken the top 11? Do you think some of these movies should be swapped around in rank? Let me know!